Millennium Magazine honors Shawn Soler from Medicine in Bad Places

Bolstered by nearly three decades of professional experience, Shawn Soler has excelled in the fields of law enforcement and medicine. To wit, he is a paramedic, retired law enforcement officer and consultant with a wealth of emergency training to his credit.

Since 2004, he has served as the founder and owner of Medicine in Bad Places. The company provides specialized training to first responders and corporate clients on crucial health and safety topics, from basic CPR to advanced emergency response scenarios. Mr. Soler’s interest in medicine and emergency services was sparked by his time acting as a caregiver for his father, who was his primary role model and mentor for much of his life.

Mr. Soler began his medical career in 1994 as an emergency medical technician for Medford Ambulance, a role he continued to operate in until 2017. He earned a paramedic license in 1997 after studying at LaGuardia Community College and started working as a paramedic at the Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn the same year. In 2000, he became an officer and paramedic in the New York Police Department (NYPD), beginning a 21-year criminal justice career.

In 2006, Mr. Soler undertook six months of intensive training to become one of just 18 tactical paramedics in the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit. He quickly gained a reputation for professional excellence and compassionate leadership in the unique assignments that the team fielded. In 2008, he became a detective, and in 2013, he was named a lead and senior tactical medic. He would maintain both positions until his retirement from the NYPD following an injury in 2021.

Between 2007 and 2012, Mr. Soler was assigned to Midtown Manhattan. During this time, he handled many assignments and responded to numerous high-profile emergencies, including a commercial airliner’s emergency landing in the Hudson River and a six-minute rapid response to a window washer suspended unsafely from the 21st story of a high-rise.

In 2012, Mr. Soler was placed with a full time special weapons unit within the NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit. He notably supported the unit during responses to high-risk warrants, FEMA deployments and federal cases, and he received additional specialized training from units and federal government agencies throughout the United States.

Mr. Soler subsequently began consulting and teaching in 2004. Furthermore, since 2010, he has acted as a consultant and technical advisor for SAG-AFTRA, providing his expertise and insights for film and television productions, in addition to offering private training and professional development.

As a part of his commitment to first responders and the future of the profession, Mr. Soler remains active with Guardian Revival. The nonprofit organization is well-regarded for connecting veterans and first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder and other workplace-related injuries with community and career services, social support and health care. Mr. Soler is also a frequent speaker and advocate for the role of competent and compassionate emergency response.

Looking ahead, Mr. Soler hopes to use Medicine in Bad Places to offer critical training to underserved communities and agencies. His previous efforts have included training local sports coaches, youth and parents, as well as a partnership with Stop the Bleed, which connected teachers and students with emergency response education in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting.

In 2024, Mr. Soler earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in criminal justice and police science at Columbia Southern University, an accomplishment he considers to be the highlight of his career. While he was able to find success without attending college and struggled with higher education due to undiagnosed dyslexia, he ultimately returned to school as a personal goal and to set an example of determination and resiliency for his children. He counsels others that passion, open-mindedness, and a willingness to put others first are the keys to success, and he hopes to continue acting as a model for others in the coming years. https://www.medicineinbadplaces.com/gallery-medicine-in-bad-places

The Marquis Millennium Magazine